Major John L. Youngs, M.C.
110th (Perth) Battalion

On August 15th, last, patient presented with very severe form of Trench Mouth. I extracted the four worst teeth and treated the balance. Teeth responded splendidly to treatment and became quite tight. On Sept. 4th, a lower denture was inserted and patient discharged.

Today, I find the natural teeth quite firm, and practically satisfactory. His denture is fairly satisfactory but I think as good as the average lower denture.

(Medical History of Invalid, 11 Dec 1917)

Lieutenant John Lant Youngs was a Stratford building contractor and member of the 28th Regiment. He was born on 11 December 1873 in Oxford County, Ontario. He served as company second-in-command to Captain T. G. Delamere when both enlisted with the 1st Battalion in September 1914.

Both deployed to France in February 1915 and were wounded during the second battle of Ypres. A shell shocked Delamere returned to Canada and raised the 110th Battalion from Stratford. Meanwhile Youngs recovered, earned a promotion to captain and was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry at the battle of Mont Sorrel in early June 1916.

Shortly thereafter, Youngs returned to Stratford in order to assume command of the 110th Battalion from Delamere who had taken a position with No. 1 Military District. Youngs sailed back to England with the 110th in November 1916. After the unit was broken up, he rejoined the 1st Battalion on the front.

His nineteen-year-old son Jack Lant Youngs Jr., a Queen’s University student, had followed his father overseas after enlisting in November 1914. In December 1916, Youngs Jr. was awarded the Military Cross when he led an attack on an enemy machine gun nest and captured twenty German soldiers. He was killed at the battle of Vimy Ridge five months later.

Major Youngs returned to Canada shortly after his son’s death. Suffering from tooth decay and disease from a severe case of trench mouth, he was invalided home in May 1917. By the end of the war, he had in total 4 fillings, 6 gold crowns and 15 extractions.

Youngs was elected mayor of Stratford in 1919, commanded the Perth Regiment from 1920 to 1923 and assumed an active role in the Great War Veterans Association. He died on 10 July 1947.

Image: Youngs’ Dental Record, Oct 1918

Digitized Service File (LAC):
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/cef/10001-11000/10670-48.pdf